A good beer bar has a decent selection of high-quality beers, comfortable seating and a knowledgeable staff. San Francisco’s popular beer bars seem to reflect these features and the styles of the neighborhoods in which they’re located. For a unique perspective of the city, travelers should visit these must-try beer bars throughout San Francisco.

City Beer Store

City Beer Store in SoMa has 15 taps of rotating beers behind the bar, but customers are able to purchase anything on the shelves and drink it in the store. There are usually more than 500 different types of bottled beers available in City Beer Store. Several well-known craft brewers sell their wares in City Beer Store, so customers can find recent editions to the craft beer scene.

Mikkeller Bar

Mikkeller Bar is a huge bar usually offering over 40 draft beers and several cask ales. There is also an extensive bottled beer list. The bar is very serious about beer, and even has a system by which each beer tap is supplied the right amount of nitrogen and carbon dioxide for its type. Mikkeller Bar has a downstairs cellar dedicated specifically to sour beers. There is a full food menu, which makes it a good place for a date.

The Beer Hall

The Beer Hall near Market and Polk Streets in the Civic Center neighborhood is a chic taproom with 20 rotating draft beers, many of which are from California and the Bay Area. It also has over 200 bottled beers from which beer lovers choose, and there’s a wine menu for those who just aren’t into beer. The beer selection focuses on specialty, limited edition and seasonal beers. The Beer Hall is bright and cheery with one wall entirely covered in thousands of bottle caps for a touch of color and whimsy.

Hopwater Distribution

Lower Nob Hill’s Hopwater Distribution is a proud Californian beer bar. It has over 30 rotating draft beers and each of them is from California. Hopwater seeks to provide a casual, relaxed atmosphere free from the snobbery of other beer bars. Its food menu is just as impressive as its beer list with crowd favorites that have included a fried chicken sandwich with slaw, aioli, fresh mozzarella and chimichurri.

Get to know San Francisco by visiting its neighborhood bars and gaining a feel for the culture in each part of town. Call ahead or check the websites of these bars to confirm the hours they’re open and what’s on the menu as you plan for your visit.